Tripping attachment for clocks.



D. H. & T. H. TILLERY.

TRIPPING ATTACHMENT FOR CLOCKS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 12. 1916.

1,214,843. Patented Feb. 6,1917.'

" x f f gg RAE DAVID E. TILLERY AND THOMAS H. TILLERY, 0F NEWARK, NEWJERSEY.

TRIPPING ATTACHMENT FOR CLOCKS.

Application filed January 12, 1916.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, DAVID H. TILLERY and TrroMAs H. TILLERY, citizensof the United States, and residents of Newark, county of Essex, andState of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Tripping Attachments for Clocks, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to an attachment for a clock which can be eitherpermanently or removably attached to a, clock so that the clock, whichhas an ordinary timereleased device similar to an alarm clock, can beutilized for the purpose of releasing any desired mechanism at apredetermined time. Clocks of this kind are used at present forreleasing the damper and draft regulating mechanisms of furnaces,heaters and the like, for releasing electric switches for causing thelighting or extinguishing of lights on light circuits in stores, and inother situations where a desired function is to be performed in theabsence of any individual. Clocks of this kind have been made with meansconnected with the clock to bring about this result, but heretofore theyhave been made as part of the clock, or so disposed as to put a strainon the gear train of the clock so that the clock is interfered with inits time keeping properties, and in the case of breakage, requiring theservices of a skilled workman to repair it.

The present invention is designed to provide an attachment which isshown as attached to an ordinary type of alarm clock, such attachmentbeing disposed on the clock so that it is operated by the ,timereleaseddevice and is adapted to support a. weight or other device suspended bysaid means so that the major portion of the strain comes on the clockcasing and not on the works inside of the clock.

The invention is further designed to provide an attachment of this kindwhich can be easily attached to or detached from the Specification ofLetters Patent.

Patented Febo 6, 191?.

Serial No. 71,617.

it is possible to thus replace an old clock wlth a new one at lessexpense than is entailed in the repair of the special clocks now in usein this connection.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in whichFigure l is a rear view of an ordinary alarm clock with the attachmentset and supporting an element to be tripped. Fig. 2 is a side view ofthe structure illustrated in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 1s a perspective view of oneof the bearing plates used in the invention, and Fig. 4 is a perspectiveview of a modified form of lever and bearing therefor.

The form of clock shown consists of an ordlnary circular casing 10 inwhich the clock works are inclosed and having a post 11 at the top whichis usually provided with an alarm bell 12 and is also usually providedwith a ring 13 at the top. It will be understood that any other form ofsupporting means for the clock can be employed and it is suspended bysaid supporting means on any suitable structure, such as a hook 1 1. Theclockhas, projecting from the back thereof, suitable handles, such as ahandle 15 which is for the purpose of setting the hands, the handle 16for winding up the clock, a handle 17 for setting the time releaseddevice to govern the time when it is to be released, and a windinghandle 18 for the alarm attachment, which handle is turned in onedirection to wind it, and is turned backward in the reverse directionwhen the time-released device is tripped, and this is utilized for thepurpose of releasing the attachment herein described. The usual form ofalarm clock is supported on the bottom edge and also on two feet 19which project at angles from the lower part of the casing on each sideof the center of the clock as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2. These feetare utilized for holding the attachment to the clock.

In the form shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 bearing plates 20 are providedwith slots 21 to form the hooks 22 on the ends of the bearing plates,these hooks being caught over the feet 19 in such a way that theright-angled or bearing parts 23 of the bearing plates are opposed toeach other. The bearing plates serve to support a suitable pivot 24which in the case illustrated is a screw provided with a nut 25 so thatthe distance between the bearing plates can can be regulated and thencan be drawn together to bring their hooked ends in tight engagementwith the feet 19 in different makes of clocks in which the feet arevarious distances apart. The pivot 24 acts as a fulcrum for a lever, theillustration showing. a lever made of wire, the lever 26 beingbent intoa series of coils or convolutions 27 through which the pivot 24 passes,the lever 26 being bent in a substantially curved direction, as at 23,and being provided with means, such as an eye 29, for receiving one endof the. spring 30 which is securely attached thereto, the other end ofthe spring 30 being secured to a tripping plate 31 which can be made inmany different forms to embrace the winding key 18, but the typeshownconsists of. separated ends 32 which are bent over to form the fingers33, which fingers rest on each. side or extension of the winding key 18.The wire of the lever, after it is formed into the coil 27, extendsdownward and forms the right-angled extension. 34: so that the wholelever partakes of the nature of a bell crank, the extension 34 beingbent into the hook part 35 or into any other suitable form of means forsupporting the element to be tripped. This element in the illustrationcomprises a. ring 36 fastened. to a suitable strand 37 which extends toany suitable point where the releasing is to be accomplished, in thecase of a heater, for instance, being fastened to the diaphragm lever ofthe heater, or it can be used to support aweight, the weight whenreleased in turn acting to operate the device to be tripped. Theseinstallations are not illustrated, since they are very common and ofmany kinds and it is within the knowledge of any person to attach orlocate the clock in any desiredposition to perform the functionsrequired of it.

When the clock is in position and is wound so that it runs, the windingkey 18 is turned to wind up the alarm or what is I known in thisspecification as the timereleased device, usually being fixed or haltedin a horizontal position as it is shown; in Figs. 1 and 2. The ring 36is then caught onto the hook part 35 of the extension 34 of the lever,and the tripping plate is then caught over the rings of the winding key18, the spring being put under suitable tension to accomplish this, thespring in turn acting to hold the tripping plate 31 in place. \Vhen sosupporting an element, the strain that is upon it, the presentattachment supports the lever from the casing of the clock by reason ofthe attachment of the bearing'plates to the feet 19, and the casing ofthe clock in turn being supported from the hook 14L or othersuitable'supporting element, the clock casing transmits or takes up thestrain of such supporting and such as the ring 36 with there is nosevere strain on the works of the clock, only sufiicient strain beingthere to hold the tripping plate 31 firmly against the winding key 18.When the alarm part or time-controlled device is released, the windingkey 18 begins to turn in reverse direction from which it turned when itwas wound, and it thus throws the tripping plate off, which permits theweight suspended by, or acting topull down. on, the ring 36, to swing,the lever so that the ring 36 slides from the hook 35. Of course it willbe evident. that other forms ofdevice can be devised to fit differentforms of clocks or the ordinary type of alarm clock, and that difi'erentforms of bearingplates or trippingplates can be used without departingfrom the scope of this invention.

in Fig, 4 is illustrated a modified form of support for the lever,thesupport in this form comprising a wire strand which is formed at itscenter to provide the pivot 38 with the upright .parts 39 flanking it,the curved partseO extending beneath the clockand having, the ends 41which can be bent aroundthe feet 19 and firmly pressed around the feetso as to hold the device to the clock.

This device is designed more particularly for locations where thefixture is to be attached to the clock without any anticipation of thenecessity for easy removal.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

1. The combination, with a clockhaving suspending means at its topandcomprising an alarm winding key, of means for releasably supportingan object from and beneath the clock and substantially inline with theclock suspending means, and means on-the clock, and operated by thealarm winding key of the clock for releasing an object so supported.

2. An attachment foralarm clocks comprising a lever, a pivot for saidlever, means for detachably securing said pivot to. the clock casing byengagement with the legs thereof, a supporting hook on the lever, and aconnection on the lever for engaging the alarm winding key of the clock.

3. An attachment for alarm clocks comprising a lever, a pivot for saidlever, means for detachably securing said pivot to the clock casing, asupporting hookon the lever and beneath the clock, a tripping plate, anda spring connecting the lever and the tripping plate.

1. An attachment for alarm clocks comprising a lever, a pivot for saidlever, means for detachably securing said pivot to the clock casing, asupporting hookon the lever and beneath the clock, a forked trippingplate with bent ends on said forks, and a spring connecting the leverand the tripping plate.

5. An attachment for alarm clocks comprising bearing plates withhookends, the hooks being adapted to engage with the legs on the clockcasing, means for drawing the bearing plates toward each other, and alever pivoted between the bearing plates.

6. An attachment for alarm clocks comprising bearing plates with hookedouter ends, a screw connecting the plates to draw them toward eachother, a lever swinging on the screw, a supporting means on the lever, aspring on the lever, and a tripping plate attached to the spring.

7. An attachment for alarm clocks comprising bearing plates with hookedouter ends, a screw connecting the plates to draw them toward eachother, a lever swinging on the screw, a hook end on the lever, a springsecured to the end of the lever, and a tripping plate secured to thespring, the tripping plate having a forked end.

8. An attachment for alarm clocks comprising means adapted for engagingthe legs of the clock, means for drawing said engaging means toward oneanpther, said lastnamed means serving also as a pivot, a lever turningon said pivot, a supporting means on said lever adapted for release ofthe object supported by the turning of said lever,

and holding means for said lever adapted to be releasably connected tothe alarm winding key of the clock.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing, we hereto set our hands, this10th day of Januar 1916.

DAVID H. TILLERY. THOMAS H. TILLERY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

